The CEO of Microsoft has hailed the launch of “game-changing” new AI technology that will allow food companies to assess the environmental and nutritional impact of their products by speaking to a ChatGPT-style chatbot.
Product footprinting and carbon reduction platform Mondra has collaborated with the software giant on the new service, called Sherpa, which was unveiled at a Microsoft AI event at London Hilton Park Lane this week.
In his keynote address, Satya Nadella described the potential of the technology as “unbelievable” and said it could have a huge impact on the sustainability of food companies that use it.
Mondra, whose platform is already used by 85% of UK grocery retailers and suppliers, said it hoped the chatbot, built on Microsoft technology but adapted for specific use in the food industry, would be “transformative” in helping companies get to net zero.
The technology can list products with the best environmental performance or identify ingredients with the highest emissions. It can also run “what-if” scenarios to explore how even tiny changes in ingredient usage might affect their overall environmental impact.
“They are building an entire digital twin for the food supply chain for every retailer in the UK and beyond to be able to improve the sustainability of it,” Nadella told the event. “So, the real world impact that this product is going to have is fantastic to see.”
Mondra said its latest breakthrough would allow companies to get instant answers to questions on the sustainability of products, which in the past could have taken years.
“We call it Sherpa because it’s designed to do the heavy lifting for companies,” Mondra CEO Jason Barrett told The Grocer.
“This is not just a regular chatbot like a customer service chatbot, it understands the context and is able to offer advice about the carbon impact of products and categories. There is a real conversation based on what companies are trying to believe.
“It’s built on Microsoft technology, they have provided us with the platform and tools and it is fantastic to hear the Microsoft CEO so excited about its potential.
“For us, this is really the key to achieving net zero on time and it’s the new dawn of operationalising sustainability data.
“Right now companies can have a conversation with Sherpa to scenario model environmental outcomes. But by 2025 we want to bring that together with nutrition and financial performance data to look at holistic decision making.”
In 2023, Mondra launched a coalition with the BRC including companies such as Tesco, M&S, Ocado, Asda, Greencore and Bakkavor, to create a common carbon emission reporting platform.
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